From the introduction:
Shadow of the Colossus (2005) is a masterpiece of evil with a small e. It came out on the PlayStation 2 and was re-released on the PlayStation 3 in HD. If you’ve not played it, YouTube has countless playthroughs, and even a few decent pieces of thematic analysis. I recently finished it, again, and it’s been haunting my mind, as it always does, but I’ve been thinking of it in terms of D&D.
Desire drives this story. The desire to return someone to life. It’s never clear what Wander’s relationship to Mono is, but its very clear how he feels deeply for her, whether from love or guilt is open to interpretation. It’s Wander’s desire that sets in motion the events of the game and the tragic ending that caps this brilliant piece of gaming.